The England team arrived amidst apparently tight security at Belfast City Airport for their World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland.

Sven-Goran Eriksson's squad then moved to the nearby Culloden Hotel ahead of Wednesday's Group 6 match.The Football Association has booked all the bedrooms and function facilities at the five-star Culloden Hotel to ensure privacy.

Police in south Belfast said they were expecting around 1,200 supporters from England, but there were increased fears about security when it was revealed that match stewards had not been properly vetted, leaving the possibility that at best, rival fans might clash, and at worse,that the event could be subject of a terrorist outrage.

Superintendent Ken Eccles said he was confident the close working relationship with English police officers would help make the big game safe and enjoyable. "This is an important event for both teams and all their fans. It is also an important evening for Belfast," he said."Hooliganism or misconduct will not be tolerated, and police resources will be available to firmly deal with such behaviour. We anticipate that a number of fans will travel without tickets, but are working with the entertainment venues around the ground to ensure that these fans can enjoy the atmosphere, clearly the situation with the Stewards has not helped, but we will deal with any issues that present themselves".

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